Scottish Executive

Agriculture

Mr Mark Ruskell (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what budget has been spent on agri-environment schemes that support organic agriculture in (a) 2001-02 and (b) 2002-03 and what information it has about spending on comparable schemes in (i) England and (ii) Wales in those years

Ross Finnie: The total amounts spent on the Organic Aid Scheme in 2001-02 and 2002-03 are detailed in the table:

  

 Scheme
 Year
 Amount


 Organic Aid Scheme
 2001-02
 £4,943,000


 2002-03
 £5,513,000



  It is for ministers in individual administrations to decide their priorities, therefore schemes, which operate in Scotland, differ from those that operate in the rest of the UK. Information on spending on comparable schemes in England and Wales is not held centrally.

Apprenticeships

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many modern apprenticeships in the construction industry have been taken up by people resident in Glasgow in each year since 1999, broken down by trade.

Lewis Macdonald: This is a matter for Scottish Enterprise. I understand that Robert Crawford, Chief Executive of Scottish Enterprise, has responded to you direct and a copy of his response has been placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre.

Education

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-29654 by Cathy Jamieson on 1 October 2002, what effective market access for foreign service providers under the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) it considers appropriate for the education service.

Peter Peacock: In the last GATS negotiation round (concluded in 1995 in Uruguay) the UK agreed to open privately funded education services in primary, secondary, higher and adult education to international competition. In the present GATS negotiation round, the European Commission's initial offer of further liberalisation does not include any new offers in education services.

Employment

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it is making to Her Majesty's Government regarding a review of the unemployment key economic need indicator, which takes no account of the out-migration of young people from rural areas, such as the south of Scotland, and whether it will review its Scottish Indices of Deprivation 2003, which does not take account of indicators associated with population change and economic fragility.

Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues.

  A comprehensive assessment of overall economic need would typically include consideration of a number of indicators, including indicators such as population density as well as unemployment rates.

  The Executive has commissioned research to underpin the development of a long-term strategy for measuring deprivation in Scotland. The interim report of this research was published for consultation in May and covered issues relating to population change and economic fragility. The Scottish Executive will make its decisions once the final report is released.

Employment

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-767 by Mr Jim Wallace on 23 June 2003 and S1W-33014 by Ms Margaret Curran on 20 January 2003, what information it has on the percentage of part-time or seasonal work force that is unable to receive jobseekers' allowance owing to the application of paragraph 20342 of the Department for Work and Pensions' Decision Makers' Guide and what representations it has made, or will make, to Her Majesty's Government about the impact on poverty of this matter.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: Jobseekers Allowance is a reserved matter for the UK Government and the Department for Work and Pensions. The Executive does not hold any information on the data requested.

Europe

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-33593 by Mr Jim Wallace on 10 February 2003, whether its representation in the UK delegation to the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe has changed as a result of ministerial changes.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive has not yet decided on any changes to its representation on the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe (CLRAE) following recent ministerial changes. The Scottish Executive will, of course, advise the Parliament in due course of any changes that it may decide to make in its representation on CLRAE.

Fisheries

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-530 by Ross Finnie on 10 June 2003, whether a decision will be announced during the parliamentary recess regarding technical conservation measures for scallops; whether the Minister for Environment and Rural Development will meet with representatives of the Scallop Association to discuss the impact a weekend ban would have on the scallop industry, and which officials within the Executive's Environment and Rural Affairs Department have lead responsibility for taking this policy forward.

Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive announced a decision on scallop technical conservation on 3 July 2003. The announcement included an undertaking to conduct a study into the potential economic impact of a weekend ban on the scallop industry and all key stakeholders, including the Scallop Association, will have the opportunity to be fully involved in the study. A decision on whether to introduce a weekend ban will be taken after that work is complete.

  Lead responsibility for taking this policy forward rests with ministers, supported as necessary by a range of officials.

Fisheries

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will introduce legislation to control the spread of sea lice from salmon farms to the wild fish population.

Allan Wilson: We have no current plans to do so. A Strategic Framework for Scottish Aquaculture commits the Executive, with other key stakeholders, to continued collaborative working to minimise the effects of sea lice.

  The Executive-chaired Tripartite Working Group is establishing voluntary Area Management Agreements, which contain a range of management operations and good working practices. This includes measures to manage and control sea lice on farmed fish, and to monitor sea lice burdens on farmed and wild fish.

Fisheries

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive how many prosecutions for the use of malachite green in salmon farms there were in each year from 1998 to 2002.

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of farmed salmon tested positive for the presence of malachite green in each year from 1998 to 2002.

Allan Wilson: The Scottish Executive has no functions in relation to testing for residues of veterinary medicines or any subsequent prosecutions.

Fisheries

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-856 by Ross Finnie on 14 July 2003, whether it responded directly to the request by the European Commission for views on the proposal from the European Parliament that an additional €150 million be allocated as aid to fishing communities.

Ross Finnie: No. The Commission's request was directed to member states. A reply was sent on behalf of the UK, in accordance with constitutional arrangements within the UK.

Fisheries

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-856 by Ross Finnie on 14 July 2003, whether the United Kingdom response to the request by the European Commission for views on the proposal from the European Parliament that an additional €150 million be allocated as aid to fishing communities will be made public and what the reasons are for the position on this matter, giving due regard to relevant freedom of information legislation and codes of practice on access to information.

Ross Finnie: The letter was sent by UKRep to the Commission on behalf of the UK authorities. It was not intended as a public document: and it is not for the Executive unilaterally to decide whether to release it.

Fisheries

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-856 by Ross Finnie on 14 July 2003, what position it submitted to Her Majesty's Government on the proposal from the European Parliament that an additional €150 million be allocated as aid to fishing communities and what the reasons are for its position on this matter, giving due regard to relevant freedom of information legislation and the Code of Practice on Access to Scottish Executive Information .

Ross Finnie: We made clear that further support measures, in addition to those funded from our own £50 million package for the industry and possibly part-funded by structural funds, may be necessary; but that because of public expenditure management arrangements in the UK the Executive would not gain any direct benefit from the availability of additional EU funding and would need to reprioritise existing expenditure commitments to fund any such measures.

  That position is reflected in the letter sent to the Commission on behalf of the UK authorities.

Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will reconsider the date that the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 will be fully implemented.

Tavish Scott: The announcement of 1 January 2005 as the date on which the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 will be fully implemented has assisted Scottish public authorities in their preparations for the act by removing any uncertainties about when the new rights will come into force. The timetable is challenging yet deliverable. We do not intend to reconsider the date.

Further and Higher Education

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-32594 by Iain Gray on 31 December 2002, whether tertiary education is subject to liberalisation under the General Agreement on Trade in Services, and, if so, whether it has undertaken, or will undertake, an assessment of any implications for tertiary education of such liberalisation in the light of responses to the consultation by the Department of Trade and Industry.

Mr Jim Wallace: The European Commission's initial offer submitted to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) under the current round of negotiations for the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) proposes no new commitments for the education sectors. The initial offer was tabled in the WTO on 29 April 2003 and the full text has been made available at:

  http://europa.eu.int/comm/trade/issues/sectoral/services/rpldda_en.htm.

General Register Office for Scotland

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much the General Register Office for Scotland spent on (a) advertising and (b) sponsorship in (i) 2000-01 and (ii) 2001-02.

Hugh Henry: The General Register Office for Scotland spent £501,581 on advertising during financial year 2000-01 and £618,046 during 2001-02. This expenditure related mainly to publicity for the 2001 Census and includes fees paid to appointed publicity agents. During the same period there was no expenditure on sponsorship.

General Register Office for Scotland

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much the General Register Office for Scotland collected in access charges to its website www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk in (a) 2000-01 and (b) 2001-02.

Hugh Henry: The ScotlandsPeople website did not come into operation until 2 September 2002, so the General Register Office for Scotland collected no income from it during financial years 2000-01 and 2001-02. ScotlandsPeople replaced the Scots Origins website, from which GROS derived £63,346 in income from accesses to the site in the financial year 2000-01 and £164,704 in 2001-02.

Graveyards

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it, or any non-departmental public body, has any funds available for the preservation, restoration and maintenance of ancient gravestones and graveyards.

Mr Frank McAveety: Historic Scotland, an agency within the Scottish Executive has grants available for the preservation and conservation of gravestones and burial grounds under its Ancient Monuments Grants scheme and for repairs to structures such as mausolea under its Historic Buildings Repair Grants scheme.

  Advice on carved stones and graveyards is detailed in a series of electronic leaflets available on the Historic Scotland website at www.historic-scotland.gov.uk. This includes a leaflet on grants in relation to graveyards and burial grounds.

Health

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much factor (a) VIII and (b) IX has been used in the treatment of haemophilia; what proportion of each product was synthetic and how many patients were treated using each product, in each of the last 10 years.

Mr Tom McCabe: The details requested on the usage and type of products in each of the years from 1989-90 to 2002-03 are shown in the following tables.

  Details of the how many patients were treated using each product are not held centrally.

  Yearly Usage of Factor VIII in Scotland (IU x 106)

  

 Year
 89-90
 90-91
 91-92
 92-93
 93-94
 94-95
 95-96
 96-97
 97-98
 98-99
 99-00
 00-01
 01-02
 02-03


 PFC FVIII
 6.99
 7.68
 8.24
 10.85
 11.63
 11.54
 13.41
 10.94
 8.62
 6.72
 4.94
 3.35
 5.17
 1.48


 Com FVIII
 1.18
 0.95
 2.08
 1.24
 0.98
 0.82
 1.07
 1.04
 0.57
 0.34
 0.79
 0.79
 0.62
 0.67


 r FVIII
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0.33
 0.38
 3.18
 6.94
 8.38
 13.85
 16.62
 15.96
 23.97


 Tot FVIII
 8.16
 8.63
 10.32
 12.09
 12.62
 12.69
 14.85
 15.17
 16.13
 15.45
 19.58
 20.76
 21.76
 26.13



  Notes:

  PFC FVIII Factor VIII manufactured by the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service at the Protein Fractionation Centre.

  Com FVIII Factor VIII purchased from a commercial manufacturer. These figures do not include recombinant factor VIII.

  r FVIII Recombinant factor VIII.

  Tot FVIII Total factor VIII usage.

  Yearly Usage of Factor IX in Scotland (IU x 106)

  

 Year
 89-90
 90-91
 91-92
 92-93
 93-94
 94-95
 95-96
 96-97
 97-98
 98-99
 99-00
 00-01
 01-02
 02-03


 DEFIX
 2.33
 2.08
 2.21
 2.48
 2.80
 2.02
 0.66
 0.77
 0.76
 0.85
 1.01
 0.85
 0.75
 0.84


 HIPFIX
 0
 0
 0.11
 0.14
 0.23
 0.77
 2.41
 1.22
 0.09
 0.09
 0.01
 0.00
 0.00
 0.00


 Com HP9
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0.10
 0.14
 2.09
 3.98
 3.13
 1.14
 0.69
 0.59
 0.52


 r FIX
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0.01
 0.02
 0.60
 2.84
 4.83
 4.27
 6.11


 Tot HP9
 0
 0
 0.11
 0.14
 0.23
 0.87
 2.55
 3.32
 4.09
 3.82
 3.99
 5.52
 4.86
 6.63


 Tot FIX
 2.33
 2.08
 2.32
 2.63
 3.03
 2.89
 3.22
 4.09
 4.85
 4.67
 5.00
 6.37
 5.60
 7.47



  Notes:

  DEFIX Prothrombin complex concentrate containing factors II, IX and X manufactured by the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service at the Protein Fractionation Centre.

  HIPFIX High purity factor IX manufactured by the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service at the Protein Fractionation Centre.

  Com HP9 High purity factor IX purchased from a commercial manufacturer. These figures do not include recombinant factor IX.

  r FIX Recombinant factor IX.

  Tot HP9 Total high purity factor IX. These figures do not include DEFIX usage.

  Tot FIX Total factor IX usage including DEFIX.

Health

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how its measures the efficacy of factor (a) VIII and (b) IX in the treatment of haemophilia and how efficacious each has been.

Mr Tom McCabe: The efficacy of all Factor VIII and Factor IX products are assessed by clinical trials carried out in Haemophilia centres on behalf of the product manufacturers as a prerequisite to the manufacturer being granted a license to market the product by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency. Efficacy is defined for this purpose as stopping or preventing bleeding.

  The efficacy of Factor VIII and IX has been established for over 30 years. Treatments with these products are very effective, without them patients would suffer spontaneous bleeding which caused severe disability and in severe cases ultimately death.

Health

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many adverse reactions in the use of factor (a) VIII and (b) IX in the treatment of haemophilia have been reported in each of the last 10 years.

Mr Tom McCabe: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has reported that it has received a total of 58 adverse drug reaction (ADR) reports associated with Factor VIII and 15 ADR reports associated with Factor IX in the last 10 years. The numbers of ADR reports per year are detailed in Table 1.

  Table 1. Number of UK Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR) Reports1 Associated with Factor VIII and Factor IX products in the Last 10 years (1993-2002)

  

 Year
 Factor VIII
 Factor IX


 1993
 5
 0


 1994
 8
 3


 1995
 5
 1


 1996
 10
 2


 1997
 6
 2


 1998
 4
 1


 1999
 1
 1


 2000
 6
 3


 2001
 1
 2


 2002
 12
 0


 Total:
 58
 15



  Note:

  1. The number of ADR reports relates to the total number of reports associated with the active products Factor VIII and Factor IX. No distinction has been made as to whether the product originated from human blood or from recombinant DNA technology.

  MHRA point out that it is important to note that a report of a suspected ADR does not necessarily mean that it was caused by the medicine.

Health

Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients have been diagnosed with endometriosis in each NHS board area in each of the last three years.

Malcolm Chisholm: The number of patients discharged from acute general NHS hospitals, where a diagnosis of endometriosis was recorded, in each of the last three calendar years recorded by NHS board is as follows:

  Year Ended 31 December

  

 NHS Board (Residence)
 2000
 2001
 2002 (provisional)


 Total
 2,567
 2,350
 2,166


 Argyll and Clyde
 293
 218
 184


 Ayrshire and Arran
 215
 214
 218


 Borders
 24
 9
 30


 Dumfries and Galloway
 75
 49
 46


 Western Isles
 4
 3
 1


 Fife
 276
 248
 260


 Forth Valley
 107
 127
 101


 Grampian
 275
 286
 245


 Greater Glasgow
 446
 419
 406


 Highland
 134
 122
 131


 Lanarkshire
 222
 245
 170


 Lothian
 354
 296
 261


 Orkney
 9
 13
 10


 Shetland
 8
 5
 15


 Tayside
 117
 92
 76


 Outside Scotland/Not Known/Other
 8
 4
 12

Health

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-33605, S1W-33606, and S1W-33607 by Mr Frank McAveety on 14 February 2003, whether it has reflected further on any implications of the BetterCare Group Ltd ruling and, in particular, whether the ruling will have any implications for the provision of public services.

Mr Andy Kerr: The BetterCare Group Ltd ruling implies that the Competition Act 1998 may apply to public bodies in certain circumstances, for example where they purchase services. The Competition Act is intended to prohibit agreements between undertakings which are anti-competitive and to prevent abuse by undertakings of a dominant market position. Irrespective of application of the Competition Act, public bodies should avoid anti-competitive behaviour. Furthermore, European Community law places detailed obligations (aimed at promoting fair and open competition) on public bodies when procuring services. As such the Executive does not expect the BetterCare Group Ltd ruling to have significant implications for the provision of public services.

MMR Vaccine

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance or instructions it has given to GPs regarding the presence of porcine gelatin, which is forbidden in Islam, in MMR injections and what guidance or information should be given by GPs to Muslims on this issue.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Deputy Chief Medical Officer Scotland wrote to colleagues in NHSScotland on this subject on 29 July, to advise that a World Health Organization (WHO) and Islamic Organisation for Medical Sciences Seminar had concluded that "'the gelatine formed as a result of the transformation of the bones, skin and tendons of a judicially impure animal is pure and it is judicially permissible". Copies of the WHO documentation are available in the Parliament's Reference Centre.

MMR Vaccine

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what alternatives to MMR vaccines containing porcine gelatin are available and whether such alternatives are as effective as those containing porcine gelatin.

Malcolm Chisholm: Safety of medicines is a reserved matter. The UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) advise that: two vaccines are currently available for use in the UK and both are equally effective in preventing infections by measles, mumps and rubella viruses, and MMR vaccine with the trade name Priorix does not contain porcine derived gelatin.

Maritime Issues

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-33593 by Mr Jim Wallace on 10 February 2003, who represents it on the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions and which meetings it has attended in the last two years.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Deputy First Minister represented the Scottish Executive when it joined the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR) at its General Assembly in September 2002. The next General Assembly of the CPMR, at which the Deputy Minister for Finance, Public Services and Parliamentary Business is expected to represent the Scottish Executive, takes place in September 2003.

Medical Research

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on progress that has been made with cannabinoid trials.

Hugh Henry: Advanced clinical trials into the development of a medicinal form of a cannabis-based drug have been completed by GW Pharmaceuticals. The findings have been submitted to the Medicines and Health Care Products Regulatory Agency, who will report to the Home Office, in due course, on the safety, quality and effectiveness of the product.

Medical Research

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any Scottish centres or patients are involved in cannabinoid trials.

Hugh Henry: The cannabinoid trials have been carried out by GW Pharmaceuticals. We do not hold information on locations or individuals involved in the trials.

Medical Research

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when cannabinoid trials will be concluded and when patients will have access to the treatment if the trials prove successful.

Hugh Henry: The trials have been completed by GW Pharmaceuticals and the results are currently being considered by The Medicines and Health Care Products Regulatory Agency. The Home Secretary has said that the UK Government will do whatever is needed to amend the law quickly to permit the prescribing of a cannabis-based medicine, in the event that the agency approves the product.

Medical Research

Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it provides for research into the causes of multiple sclerosis (MS).

Malcolm Chisholm: The Chief Scientist Office (CSO), within the Scottish Executive Health Department, has responsibility for encouraging and supporting research into health and health care needs in Scotland. The CSO is largely a response mode funder of research and this role is well known and advertised throughout the healthcare and academic community.

  The CSO is not currently directly funding any research projects into the causes of MS but would be pleased to consider funding research proposals for innovative MS studies of a sufficiently high standard. These would be subject to the usual peer and committee review.

Medical Research

Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it will make available in each of the next three years for research into endometriosis.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Chief Scientist Office (CSO) within the Scottish Executive Health Department has responsibility for encouraging and supporting research into health and health care needs in Scotland. The CSO has previously contributed £201,000 to research projects on causation and treatment options for endometriosis but is not currently funding any research into endometriosis. The CSO responds to research applications rather than invites applications on particular topics, and this role is well advertised throughout the health care and academic community. The CSO would consider any submitted research applications, which would be subject to the usual peer and committee review. Details of how to apply to the CSO for a research grant are available on the internet at www.show.scot.nhs.uk/cso .

Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent by each local authority on the development of advocacy services to comply with the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003.

Mr Tom McCabe: This information is currently not held centrally. The Advocacy Safeguards Agency is conducting a mapping exercise which aims to produce a comprehensive picture of the provision and resourcing of advocacy services across Scotland. This process is expected to be concluded before the Act comes into effect.

  NHS boards will be submitting their advocacy plans for the following three years at the end of February 2004, and local authorities will be expected to contribute to the preparation and submission of these plans. A clear commitment from the boards and their planning partners to identify the appropriate resourcing will also be required.

Renewable Energy

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how energy from wind farms in the Western Isles and Orkney will be connected to the National Grid and how much each connection will cost.

Lewis Macdonald: I refer the member to the answers given to questions S2W-1521 and S2W-1522 on 12 August 2003. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search..

Scottish Criminal Records Office

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what procedures are used to advertise and appoint senior positions in the Scottish Criminal Records Office.

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the recent procedure to appoint a civilian head of the Scottish Criminal Records Office was open, transparent and accountable.

Cathy Jamieson: Recruitment to positions within the Scottish Criminal Record Office (SCRO) is the responsibility of the SCRO Executive Committee. The normal procedures are for the post to be advertised widely within the police service if the vacancy is for a serving officer or in the press if a civilian is to be appointed.

  Earlier this year, following his retiral from the police service, the director of SCRO was offered and accepted a temporary, short-term appointment as civilian Director. The offer was made by the SCRO Executive Committee to ensure management continuity at the time when SCRO and the other Scottish common police services were being reviewed.

Scottish Criminal Records Office

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any on-going investigations into potential miscarriages of justices as a consequence of identified weaknesses in procedures at the Scottish Criminal Records Office.

Cathy Jamieson: I am not aware of any such investigations.

Scottish Criminal Records Office

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost was of recent investigations into deficiencies at the Scottish Criminal Records Office.

Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Criminal Record Office (SCRO) was the subject of a primary inspection by Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary in 2000. There were two follow-up review inspections carried out in 2001 and 2002. The cost of these inspections cannot, however, be separately identified. The review inspection reports were both positive and noted that considerable progress that had been made since the primary inspection. While the primary inspection was brought forward in terms of scheduling, these inspections are essentially part of normal Her Majesty's Inspectorate of the Constabulary activity.

  The cost of the involvement of the Procurator Fiscal at Paisley in the investigation and consideration of criminal proceedings against SCRO officers, which resulted in no proceedings being taken, also cannot be separately identified.

  An independent investigator, external to the police service, carried out an assessment of the process and procedures in place at SCRO Fingerprint Bureau in 1997. He concluded that there were no matters of misconduct or lack of capability surrounding the fingerprint comparisons carried out at the time. An Independent Scrutiny Committee later endorsed that conclusion. The cost of these assessments was £19,725.

Scottish Executive Departments

Nicola Sturgeon (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-942 by Mr Andy Kerr on 14 July 2003, why information on the number of expert groups it has set up since 1999 is not held centrally.

Mr Andy Kerr: There is no requirement and no perceived benefit in allocating resources for collecting and holding this information centrally.

Scottish Executive Expenditure

Nicola Sturgeon (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has spent on resourcing expert groups in each year since 1999.

Mr Andy Kerr: The definition of an expert group is vague, potentially covering a wide range of bodies including non-departmental public bodies, working parties and advisory groups. Information on the establishment and resourcing of all such bodies is not registered and held centrally.

Scottish Executive Staff

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff currently work in its Constitutional Policy Unit.

Patricia Ferguson: Three full-time and two part-time members of staff currently work in the Executive's Constitutional Policy Unit.

Social Inclusion Partnerships

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-34693 by Ms Margaret Curran on 25 March 2003, why it has no plans to publish the results of the review by Communities Scotland of financial procedures and practices in relation to the Social Inclusion Partnership Fund (SIP Fund).

Mrs Mary Mulligan: The review referred to was an internal exercise aimed primarily at improving internal programme management. As a result of the review minor changes were introduced to the terms and conditions of SIP Fund grant from 1 April 2003.

  The current terms and conditions of SIP Fund grant are available on the Communities Scotland website (www.communitiesscotland.gov.uk).

Social Justice

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has consulted the Scottish Police Federation on its plans for community wardens.

Ms Margaret Curran: As part of the consultation process, meetings were held with a number of key stakeholders, including the Scottish Police Federation.

Student Loans

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-24495 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 17 April 2002, whether it will now carry out research to determine what percentage of student debt is a consequence of the introduction of the student loans system.

Mr Jim Wallace: We plan to commission a survey of the income and expenditure of Scottish students to take place during academic year 2003-04.

Tourism

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the roles and remits of (a) it, (b) EventScotland, (c) VisitScotland, (d) area tourist boards, (e) Scottish Enterprise and (f) Highlands and Islands Enterprise are in promoting Scotland as an event centre.

Mr Frank McAveety: EventScotland was established to take forward the Scottish Executive's Major Events Strategy launched by the First Minister in November 2002. The aim is to secure Scotland's place as one of the world's foremost events destinations by 2015. To achieve that aim, EventScotland will work in partnership with VisitScotland, Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, the Area Tourist Boards as well as other key partners such as the cities, to develop a portfolio of events that will underpin Scottish tourism.